When it comes to the origins of some dog breeds, it can be surprising to learn where they come from. And unless you actually own that particular dog breed, you might not know a lot about the pup. But if you are looking to adopt a new dog, you might be curious about where some of these dogs originate from.
In this case, we specifically decided to do a look to see which dogs came from Scotland. While some dog breeds seem quite obvious, such as the Scottish Deerhound, the Scottish Terrier, and even the Shetland Sheepdog, other breeds came as a bit of a surprise.
We had no clue that the Golden Retriever came from Scotland until we saw the news that hundreds of Goldens had converged on the Scottish highlands in 2023 to celebrate 155 years of the breed. But the history of the breed is quite fascinating as the Golden Retriever was actually bred to be "a gun dog suited to Scottish Highland terrain."
Especially with the Golden Retriever, it is important to understand the origins of the breed and what the are known for because irresponsible breeding can mess with their general temperament and the qualities that make Goldens so special.
These three dog breeds are from Scotland and their origins matter
The second dog breed that came as a bit of a surprise was the Border Collie. While I actually had a Border Collie when I was in high school, I had no idea the breed came from Scotland. Considering this breed is known as a sheep dog, it shouldn't have been that surprising, but this is a breed that originated along the "Scottish Borders."
This is a dog that is known for being very intelligent, while also being quite energetic. They are great family dogs, but they need a family that will give them a lot of exercise.
Finally we have the Bloodhound. I actually thought this breed came from a different European country, but it was interesting to learn that this is a dog known as the "sleuthhound" in Scotland. They have a long history dating back to the Middle Ages, and are actually a very friendly breed. While they can sniff things out with ease, they are also loving dogs that make great family pets.
With a background in sleuthing, it probably makes sense that these dogs often worth with law enforcement agencies in order to do tracking for them.
Sometimes, knowing where a dog breed comes from makes a difference in how we see them. It makes us see them as a heartier breed or perhaps even as a more work-centric breed. And there is nothing wrong with that.